第1章
The Transformative Journey: Finding Your Divine Self
In a world where self-help books flood the market, Iyanla Vanzant's "Until Today!" stands apart as a cultural phenomenon that has touched millions of lives. Beloved by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, who frequently featured Vanzant on her shows, this daily devotional has become a staple on bedside tables across America. What makes this book so powerful? Perhaps it's Vanzant's unique ability to blend spiritual wisdom with practical advice, all delivered through the voice of someone who has walked through fire and emerged stronger. As she writes in the very first pages, "If by chance no one has told you that they love you today, I would be honored to be the first to say, I love you today!" With these words, she invites us into a transformative journey that doesn't just change how we think-it changes who we are.
第2章
Embracing the Gift of Life: Starting Your Journey of Self-Discovery
Life is both beautiful and ugly, empowering and confining, pleasant and unpleasant all at once. Just when you think you've mastered it, life throws another challenge your way-and somehow, you rise to meet it. This is the essence of Vanzant's philosophy: there is always more of you waiting to unfold, more about the world to understand, more people coming into your life, and more knowledge about yourself through these experiences.
The journey begins with honest self-assessment. Vanzant describes three different aspects of herself: the self she wants others to see (the majestic mountain peaks and verdant meadows), the self she hides (the landscape of weaknesses with valleys of self-doubt and deserts of anger), and a third realm she's just beginning to know-a place of beautiful, inspiring scenery and dreams with lush hillsides of hope, beaches of confidence, gardens of self-love, and mountains of faith.
This metaphorical landscape serves as a powerful reminder that we all contain multitudes. We present certain parts of ourselves to the world while hiding others, often from ourselves as well. The spiritual journey involves discovering these hidden territories within ourselves-not just the dark valleys but also the unexplored gardens of potential.
Devotion is central to this journey. Not as a way to make things happen according to our will, but as a process of opening ourselves to receive what already is. God's goodness and love already exist and lead us to truth. The moment we believe we know it all or have it all figured out, we cannot know the truth. When we devote time to knowing the truth, all else that we need has a way of finding us.
This daily devotional practice isn't about imposing your will on God or others, but the reverent act of surrendering your will to Divine will. When we become devoted to healing our inner world and loving ourselves, all life's riches will fall into our laps. Each day's devotion announces your intention to improve, requiring either changing thought patterns or specific actions, supported by affirming statements that transform "Until Today!" limitations into "Just for today" possibilities.
第3章
The Divine Connection: Recognizing God's Presence in Your Life
At the core of Vanzant's teachings is the understanding that God is present in every breath, movement, and thought. The Law of First Things mandates acknowledging God first in everything we do. When you wake, remember it's God making your breath possible. Before doing anything, thank God for your abilities and opportunities. Keep God informed of your activities and invite divine participation.
This divine connection manifests through daily silence with your true Self. This contemplation clarifies your purpose, builds confidence, and strengthens your mind and spirit. Calling on God's presence, name, and light opens your soul to divine essence and cleanses you. Expressing gratitude acknowledges grace and your worthiness of healing.
Creating a spiritual plan requires clear intention about your desired inner experience and defining actions to achieve it. You must honestly assess where you are spiritually, determine if that's where you want to be, and identify what to eliminate or incorporate to move forward. Success requires spiritual strength, which comes from examining your current situation and planning your path forward.
The essence of who you are mirrors the essence of God. Just as plants grow from seeds containing their complete nature, you contain the divine essence-the same power, wisdom and love as God. While you likely tend to your physical body, how much care do you give your spiritual essence? Your God-essence requires spiritual grooming: bathe it in service to others, wrap it in self-love, sweeten it with forgiveness, nourish it with prayer, rest it in faith, and clothe it in kindness and humility.
This divine connection extends to understanding that joy, knowing and love come from within, while happiness, believing and pleasure respond to external events. The former are internal experiences you control through your mind; the latter can be controlled by outside circumstances. Waiting for external happiness kills your internal joy. Joy flows through you; happiness comes to you. When you know you're divinely protected, you can believe beyond what you see.
第4章
The Power of Love: Transforming Yourself and Your Relationships
Love isn't just what you say-it's who you are and what you do. To anchor love on earth, recognize that love is your true identity. When you're gentle and compassionate with yourself, nonjudgmental, truthful, and celebrate your divine worth, you embody love. Love is what you've come to give by treating everyone with the same acceptance you desire.
Your name is now "Beloved"-God's beloved child, the heart of God's heart. This name is both your identity and your command: Be-love! Be love in your thoughts, words and actions. Be love when tired or weary, when facing rejection or anger, when everything else fails. Your true nature and identity is love itself, and when you embody this, you become what every living soul needs.
God wants to love you abundantly, to guide, protect and provide for you. God desires your happiness, health, peace and joy. The question is: can you stop convincing yourself you don't deserve this love? Often we cling to unworthiness because of past experiences or perceive absence as divine punishment. But God takes you exactly as you are, knowing exactly who you are.
In relationships, we often withhold love-shutting down, shutting people out, refusing to budge from our positions. When you don't share your feelings or withhold information that could improve relationships, you're withholding love. When fear of being hurt or rejected makes you act like you don't care, you're withholding love. Whatever isn't an expression of love is an expression of fear.
Not all people are nice or loving. Many are in pain and will inflict that pain on you. The human tendency is to respond in kind. The spiritual imperative is to offer love for insult, love for hurt. The more unlovingly someone behaves, the greater their need for love and healing. When faced with unkindness, take a deep breath, reach within yourself, and respond with the gentle kindness of love.
Love never changes. It remains constant and available in unlimited supply. When you close your eyes and think of a newborn baby-pure, innocent, defenseless-that is love. Love is right where you are, in this moment. When your defenses fall away and your heart opens, you've found it. When you can be love, move in love and see love in all things, you are living the truth of your soul.
第5章
Awakening to Truth: Developing Awareness of Your Inner Reality
Awareness means recognizing that in all relationships, there comes a moment when you realize some things will never be understood. When standing in that moment, just be all right with it. The only thing standing between you and what you want is space-are you willing to be the matter that fills it? You can occupy this space with your needs or fill it with fears and doubts. In this space exists the fullness of God.
When you decide how your day will be, you create your reality. Making conscious decisions about being faith-filled, joy-filled, and peace-filled transforms your experience. The moment you decide not to be beaten down or weighed down, you ensure a good day. By getting grounded, staying centered, and pursuing purpose, you fuel your spirit.
When clarity strikes, it's like a light bulb moment that draws you into the unknown. Though you may feel afraid, you'll also feel perfectly fine with what you don't know. This new awareness might upset others who are comfortable knowing exactly who you are and how to push your buttons. When this light bulb moment comes, you must sit alone in the light, give thanks, write down your thoughts, and act when inspired.
Pain is not natural-it's a warning that something is out of divine order. It signals an ungodly condition straining your connection to the divine. Pain rarely strikes without warning; it begins small and grows if unattended. While temporary discomfort at the start of new experiences is normal, persistent pain is not. Society has taught us to accept gnawing, debilitating pain as natural, even noble. Instead of addressing its cause, we find ways to tolerate it.
God cannot help you unless you allow it! Many of us try to out-God God, believing we know better or can do more than the divine. We get so busy doing things our way that we leave no room for God to enter our lives. Yet God is merciful and won't fight us-God simply waits to be invited in. The sign that you're in God's way? When you're struggling to make things happen and they're not happening.
第6章
The Path to Self-Acceptance: Acknowledging Your Truth
Acknowledgment is looking things directly in the eye, naming them exactly as they are, and deciding their role in your life. This is the first step toward freedom. Like the man at the pool of Bethesda who waited 38 years for healing but never entered the water, we often leave situations unaddressed in our lives. We make excuses for unfinished business, incomplete tasks, and ongoing drama. The only reason we haven't been blessed is that we haven't stepped into the pool.
Are you listening to your life? Every condition, situation, and relationship contains subtle messages. What difficulties are you facing, and what are they saying about you? Is your life telling you it will always be this way, or is it time to let go? Where are your energy leaks and resource scarcity? Your life is always communicating, but often we're afraid to hear what it's saying about us, or we don't know how to respond.
Today, be the good news! Refuse negative thoughts, words, or behaviors-no eye-rolling, teeth-sucking, hand-wringing or giving the finger. Instead, speak positively to yourself and everyone you meet. No worry, doubt, gossip, criticism or judgment today! Be the compliment someone needs, the encouragement they've waited for, the smile they long to see, the generous tip they need. When you become the good news, you can only receive its perfect reflection back into your life.
We all face a "breakdown moment"-when we must confront what we've desperately tried to avoid. In that moment, we want to find any escape route, to run and hide. We feel weak, faint, sick-but what we're actually experiencing is the pathway to greatness. The very thing we've feared stands before us, taunting us and showing us what we've refused to acknowledge. When nothing stands between us and our greatest fear, we're forced to step into our greatness because that's what life demands.
To release pain from disappointing experiences, simply acknowledge "it just didn't work." You can drive yourself crazy analyzing why, or accept your part in what happened without emotional attachment. When facing betrayal, resist seeing yourself as victim and others as villains-it won't make you feel better. Move beyond fear of repeating past mistakes by taking self-loving steps forward. Admit what didn't work without emotional attachment to why. Accept that some things simply don't work out as planned.
第7章
Embracing Forgiveness: The Path to Spiritual Freedom
Angels are constantly praying on your behalf: "Father forgive them. For they know not what they do." This universal prayer operates most effectively when you don't know how to pray for yourself. Each time you deny yourself joy, behave in mean or spiteful ways, hold self-defeating beliefs, lack courage to move beyond habitual responses, or believe your thoughts are more powerful than God's knowledge-some divine being is pleading for your forgiveness.
As children, we learn about our value and worth from those around us, often receiving inaccurate information that becomes our looking glass. Even when we discover this information is wrong, we remain loyal to it and the people who gave it to us. This creates self-sabotage as we struggle not to contradict what we were told about ourselves. Examine what you're doing and ask, "Why would someone who does this need to believe to justify it?" Until you're willing to contradict those childhood impressions, you'll struggle between your soul's truth and what you were told.
Today I offer myself a prayer of self-forgiveness. I forgive myself for judging my true Self as less than a perfect creation of God. I forgive myself for believing I'm not enough, for not asking for what I need, for thinking I don't deserve happiness. I forgive myself for believing I'm weak, for being angry with myself, for not trusting myself. I forgive myself completely for all judgments that have diminished the perfect unfolding of the divine Self I am.
What's wrong with being wrong? When I take a step in the wrong direction, "wrong" lets me know I need to change course. When I choose something unworthy of who I am, "wrong" guides me to make better choices. When I'm unprepared for something, "wrong" shows me what skills I need to build. "Wrong" is life's way of teaching me what I need to know to get the right results.
I must forgive my mother-not to excuse her actions, but because holding judgments against her devastates my soul. Whether she was the mother I wanted or not, whether she protected me or guided me correctly, I must forgive her because she did the best she could. The judgments I hold will eventually break my heart. By forgiving myself for judging my mother, there will be nothing left to forgive her for.
第8章
Building Trust: The Foundation of Faith and Growth
Trust is fundamentally simple-either you trust or you don't. This cycle begins with self-trust. When you don't trust yourself, you won't trust others. When you don't trust others, you can't trust the process of living or loving. Without trust in loving others, you can't live openly or fully. When you're not open to living fully, you expect to be hurt and fear you can't handle the pain. And when you don't believe you can handle something, it means you don't trust yourself-bringing us full circle.
Trust and faith are intimately connected yet distinct. Faith is seeing the invisible and knowing something exists before seeing it; trust is knowing the invisible actually exists. Faith attracts what the heart desires; trust is the ability to have the desire. Faith is the substance of what you believe to be real; trust confirms that what you believe is real for you. Think of faith as the cake and trust as the butter for both the icing and the cake itself.
Trust resides within you-it's never "out there." It's a decision reflecting what you've chosen to believe. True trust isn't about comfort but willingness to move beyond comfort zones with no evidence of support. It's not seeking constant validation that you're doing things right, but keeping the end result in mind regardless of the steps required. Trust means doing hard work without losing sight of your purpose, even when others try to dissuade you.
When someone betrays your trust, you feel hurt, disappointed, and furious. But ask yourself-are you angrier with them or with yourself for trusting them? Most people are actually more upset with themselves. When we open ourselves to others, we expect certain behavior. When they fail us, we think we should have known better. The real issue is that somewhere in the process of trusting them, we forgot to trust ourselves!
You don't need to know you're doing the right thing-just that you're doing what feels right for you. Trust what you feel and act on it! You don't need to know you're doing things the "right" way-just that you're doing your very best based on what feels right. You don't need to be perfect the first time-just ensure your intent and actions are honorable and honest. And you certainly don't need anyone's approval-family, community, or officials.
第9章
Discovering Your Worth: Embracing Your Divine Value
Self-Value means knowing who you are. Self-Esteem means being who you say you are. Self-Worth means believing you are who you say you are. What you know about yourself affects your self-esteem, which influences your sense of self-worth. Ensure that what you know is reflected in what you say about yourself, because what you say shapes what you believe.
Don't confuse life conditions with your true identity. Conditions may influence but aren't immutable-they change! You are not what happens to you, but how you handle what happens. You are not what surrounds you, but how you move through circumstances. You are boundless, unlimited energy defined by who you believe you are. Examine whether your beliefs about your life situation are becoming self-fulfilling prophecies.
Unworthiness creates a hole in your heart that no amount of doing or getting can fill. The more you try, the deeper and wider it becomes. People feeling unworthy constantly work on themselves, seeking that one thing to catapult them into worthiness. When they run out of self-improvement projects, they start working on others. The only cure is belief-believe you're miraculous and the hole fills with self-love. Stop searching and simply believe in your inherent worth.
Everything you need to know is already within you-in the heart of your soul. Your heart holds the answers to why you're here, what you're meant to do, and how to accomplish it. But you can't hear your Spirit's gentle voice if anger hardens your heart or if you blame others for your circumstances. Ask your heart to cleanse itself of resentment, fear, shame and pain. With a clean, open heart, anything becomes possible.
True self-worth isn't just positive affirmations or others' opinions-it's understanding intellectually, trusting at heart level, and accepting at soul level that you're worthy simply because you believe you are. Your worthiness is proven by your very existence-your breathing, your heartbeat, your presence. When you understand what a gift it is to be alive, you know you're worthy. When you trust yourself as a unique expression of life, you feel worthy. When you accept you're not a mistake, you believe you're worthy.
第10章
The Practice of Service: Giving from Your Authentic Self
Service isn't about fixing or helping others-it's about you giving without expectation of recognition or reward. It means doing what needs to be done with complete attention, without causing yourself harm. Anything more is an attempt to control; anything less is a disservice. Like a restaurant server who brings exactly what you order without adding extras or telling you how to eat it, true service means giving what you have to offer, doing exactly what's asked, and giving your full attention with love and joy.
Blessing difficult people is the greatest service you can offer. Those who get on your nerves, seem unaware of their impact, or demonstrate through words and actions that they don't want to be where they are-bless them silently in your heart. Don't assume their behavior is about you. Remember the truth: every living being is divine, though some have forgotten it or disguise it with nasty dispositions.
Your responsibility as a messenger is simply to deliver what you've been given-not to control how it's received. Once you judge your message by how others respond, you miss the point and the message is lost. We often forget we're God's messengers, thinking it's our idea and our responsibility to make people understand. When we don't get support, we doubt ourselves and ultimately question God's authority. Remember: you're the messenger, not the message.
Your heart is stronger than you think-it can withstand what you believe it cannot. Rather than learning to fix a broken heart, learn to preserve its strength. We waste heart energy by testing people and trying situations instead of trusting what we know from the beginning. Believe what people show you about themselves and choose your involvement accordingly. When circumstances change or expectations aren't met, don't tax your heart with fear, anger or resentment.
Eliminating self-doubt is essential service. While it's normal to want support for your beliefs, getting angry when others don't validate you reveals insecurity. When you know something, know it! When you believe something, believe it! Stand firm on what your experiences have taught you, knowing that more experiences will bring greater clarity. Enhanced vision will guide you in the right direction. The key is being willing to follow what you know, with or without others' company.
第11章
Finding Peace: The Ultimate Spiritual Achievement
Peace is a choice we make regardless of circumstances. The acronym PEACE reminds us to "Please Excuse All Crazy Experiences!"-it's just life's way of showing us that things can, will and do get better. Rather than trying to eliminate all craziness from your life or viewing the world's craziness as bad, look beyond it. Use your mind to find peace within and shift the energy surrounding you. Peace comes from our perspective, not from perfect circumstances.
Peace comes when we focus on one thing at a time. When thoughts of all your responsibilities crowd your mind like chattering birds, each demanding immediate attention, stress and burnout follow. The urgent chorus in your head creates feelings of fear, inadequacy and desperation. Remember: you can only do one thing at a time. Make a list of what must be done, eliminating tasks you've taken on because others won't do them.
Peace eludes us when we make excuses for what we're not doing. While you can fool others sometimes, you can never truly fool yourself. You may tell yourself anything to excuse your fear, and you'll believe it for a while. Eventually though, your excuses will sound too weak, too lame, and too ridiculous to be convincing. When that moment comes, don't get defensive-face your fear. As long as fear lurks in your mind, peace remains impossible.
The hardest person to forgive is often ourselves. Considering what we know about our capabilities, it can be difficult to forgive our own actions. We mistakenly believe forgiveness means allowing or condoning mistakes, leading us to punish ourselves unnecessarily for being human. This self-punishment impedes growth, learning, and healing-all of which forgiveness fosters. Our detrimental actions usually signal we're ready to release some false belief or unreasonable fear.
Peace comes when we accept and acknowledge the truth of who we are. People engage in harmful, self-destructive behaviors when they forget this truth. The truth is that we are all messiahs of one sort or another-leaders of some hope or cause. When living in truth, we offer others hope and inspire them to realize truth about themselves. Nothing can erase the truth of who we are. Eventually, one kernel of living truth buried in our being will awaken, causing false beliefs and harsh judgments to vanish.
When something has served its purpose in your life, it will leave-sometimes breaking, dying off, or simply falling apart with missing pieces that make restoration impossible. Things that no longer have purpose go sour, run away, or depart abruptly. There's no explanation needed when something has fulfilled its divine purpose. Holding on to what should be released only hurts you and disturbs your peace of mind.
